Manhunt for Kenyan suspect as 41 foreigners arrested in Nairobi

The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Ndegwa Muhoro yesterday issued an alert for a Kenyan suspect involved in a multi-million shilling crime syndicate that has recruited nationals from China and Taiwan.

The suspect, whom the DCI yesterday described as an “agent”, was identified by just one name; Njoro.

Mr Muhoro spoke after his officers arrested 41 suspects in a house in Nairobi’s upmarket Runda estate. The detectives also confiscated 14 laptops and eight mobile phones from the suspects, many who sneaked into the country in the last three months using tourist visas.

Muhoro said the 22 Chinese, and 19 Taiwanese nationals were arrested when they were found setting up hi-tech communications equipment in a house in the upmarket estate. They arrived as tourists between January and February and the validity of their visas has since expired.

“They were in the last stages of setting up a command centre similar to the one we dismantled here last year. We believe they are involved in international scheming of money where people lose cash electronically. This is a serious crime. They will take plea,” said Muhoro.

The suspects were all staying in a large bungalow in the upmarket suburb. Neighbours said they would all leave in vans at night and come with food.

The owner of the house was questioned by the police. The arrests come less than a week after another group of 37 Chinese was released by a court for lack of evidence in similar charges.

The suspects had been arrested on December 14, 2014 and had been in custody for almost two years. At the time, Kenyan security agents claimed the equipment also found in Runda was capable of disrupting the country’s communications systems, infiltrating bank accounts and the M-Pesa money transfer network, which moves over Sh60 billion a month.